1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to apparatus for crushing objects and containers and in particular to a mobile apparatus for crushing 55-gallon drums and other containers to facilitate disposition of those containers.
2. Description of Related Art
Containers, such as 55-gallon drums, are bulky even when empty and frequently require some form of compacting or crushing to enhance disposal or recycling. A typical 55-gallon drum is approximately 35 inches in length and 24 inches in width. By crushing the drum, it can be reduced to approximately 8 inches in thickness, thereby saving storage space and increasing the number of containers that can be shipped for disposal or recycling within a vehicle or shipping unit.
Container crushers are well known in the art. But prior-art crushers generally require some form power such as hydraulic power to crush the containers placed in them. One example of this type of crusher is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,973 issued to Page. The '973 patent employs remote controlled hydraulics to drive a ram press into the container sought to be crushed. This apparatus, however, is bulky and therefore cannot be easily moved to various locations at a typical worksite in which empty containers are ordinarily found. In addition, due to its complexity, a crusher manufactured according to the '973 patent would also be expensive.
The drum crusher described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,731 to Grizzard presents an improvement over the '973 patent. In the '731 patent, the crusher is attached to a two-wheeled trailer. The inclusion of the trailer enhances the mobility of the drum crusher. But, as with the '973 patent, the crusher requires complex machinery and its own power source. This complexity and the requirement of an integral power source necessarily adds to the bulk and cost of such a crusher.
Therefore, a need exists for a simple, inexpensive, and mobile container crusher capable of crushing containers of varying sizes, including 55-gallon drums. A need also exists for a container crusher that utilizes the power source of other machinery commonly present at a worksite so that crusher is not required to have an additional integral power source.
All references cited herein are incorporated by reference to the maximum extent allowable by law. To the extent a reference may not be fully incorporated herein, it is incorporated by reference for background purposes and indicative of the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art.